Moving to Australia from the UK? This page covers everything you need to know about your move, from average shipping costs and transit times to packing options and customs clearance.
With over 25 years of experience and weekly sailings, 1st Move International provides a faster, more reliable service that can get your belongings to Australia up to 14 weeks sooner than standard movers. Get a free quote or continue reading for costs, transit times, and answers to common questions.
With guaranteed weekly shipping services to Australia our faster transit times using, consolidated shipping, means your household goods and personal effects can arrive up to 14 weeks faster than other movers.
Take advantage of our advanced palletised packing systems to ensure top-level security for your overseas move. Carefully packed and stacked to your own individual pallets to minimise handling and maximise safety and security. Truly the safest way to ship household goods abroad.
With palletised shipping, enjoy precise and transparent billing thanks to accurate measurements. Your pallets are individually measured to ensure you pay for what you ship. Say goodbye to rough estimates!
As a BAR member, our company has been rigorously vetted and subject to regular audits to ensure we meet their strict quality guidelines when moving personal effects overseas. This includes financial stability, full regulatory compliance, and adhering to the BAR's strict code of practice when dealing with our customers and all aspects of relocating their goods worldwide.
When shipping your household goods from the UK, sea freight container shipping is typically the method of choice. Depending on the size of your move, you can either choose a Shared Container or a Full Container service. Continue reading to learn more about these types of services and how to choose the right one for you.
The cheapest way of shipping your household goods and furniture from the UK to Australia is by shared container. This is the perfect option for "smaller" moves (those shipping anything less than the contents of a 2-3 bed home.) This service allows you to share container space with other customers so that you only pay for the space that you need for your move.
Moving costs: Shared container shipping costs start from £840.00 for a small move up to £2490.00 for a 1 or 2 bed apartment. This service is weekly and will take around 45 days to arrive. There will be additional costs for packing, shipment protection cover, and final delivery depending on your location in Australia.
Full Container is the ideal solution for larger moves, providing you with the exclusive use of a 20ft or 40ft container for your move from the UK. This service is tailored for those relocating the contents of a 3+ bedroom home, or for anyone needing to transport a large volume of goods. With Full Container shipping, you benefit from the security and control of having an entire container dedicated to your belongings.
Moving costs: Full container shipping costs start at around £4,600 for a 3-bedroom house or £7,600 for a 4-bedroom home. There will be additional costs for pack and load services, shipment cover, and final delivery depending on your destination in Australia.
The cost of international removals from the UK to Australia starts from £840 for a shared container service, £4,500 for a 3-bed house and £5,600 for a 4 or 5-bed house. With weekly sailings from London, it will take around 45 days to arrive in Australia.
| Destination | Small Move | 1 bed flat / apartment | 3 bed house move | 4 bed house move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fremantle, WA | From £840 | From £1780 | From £4600 | From £5900 |
| Adelaide, SA | From £870 | From £1800 | From £4550 | From £5800 |
| Melbourne, VIC | From £860 | From £1790 | From £4500 | From £5900 |
| Sydney, NSW | From £865 | From £1750 | From £4550 | From £5850 |
| Brisbane, QLD | From £875 | From £1800 | From £4650 | From £5950 |
The above costs should only be used as guide only. Prices shown are port to port freight costs. They do not include UK collection, packing costs or insurance costs. To receive an accurate quote based on your specific moving requirements to Australia simply request a quick quote.
Here at 1st Move, we professionally pack all your personal belongings, white goods, and furniture items. These are then carefully stacked and secured to pallets for maximum safety during the international shipping process.
This prevents any movement in transit and greatly reduces the amount of handling for those larger items. Proven to reduce insurance claims by up to 70%, it is the safest way to ship household goods Down Under.
Export wrapped, secured to your pallet, then further protected with a bubble wrap casing and a cardboard skin. Finished off with our unique Shrink Fast bag, then tightly strapped and sealed.
Fabulous packing for your personal effects and peace of mind for you, our customer.
We’re the only UK removals company that publishes our live sailing schedule to Australia, so you’ll can see exactly when the next shipments are scheduled to leave for Australia.
By using commercial carrier routes with guaranteed weekly departures, we can get your move to Australia up to 14 weeks faster than traditional movers.
Check our latest timetable below and choose a sailing date that suits you, not your mover.
| Destination | Vessel Name | Last Moving Date | Sailing Date | Transit Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | Hyundai Jupiter | 25/10/2025 | 04/11/2025 | 48 |
| Seaspan Adonis | 01/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | 48 | |
| ONE Mackinac | 08/11/2025 | 18/11/2025 | 48 | |
| HMM Hope | 15/11/2025 | 25/11/2025 | 48 | |
| Brisbane | Hyundai Jupiter | 25/10/2025 | 04/11/2025 | 57 |
| Seaspan Adonis | 01/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | 57 | |
| ONE Mackinac | 08/11/2025 | 18/11/2025 | 57 | |
| HMM Hope | 15/11/2025 | 25/11/2025 | 57 | |
| Fremantle | Hyundai Jupiter | 25/10/2025 | 04/11/2025 | 47 |
| Seaspan Adonis | 01/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | 47 | |
| ONE Mackinac | 08/11/2025 | 18/11/2025 | 47 | |
| HMM Hope | 15/11/2025 | 25/11/2025 | 47 | |
| Melbourne | Hyundai Jupiter | 25/10/2025 | 04/11/2025 | 45 |
| Seaspan Adonis | 01/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | 45 | |
| ONE Mackinac | 08/11/2025 | 18/11/2025 | 45 | |
| HMM Hope | 15/11/2025 | 25/11/2025 | 45 | |
| Sydney | Hyundai Jupiter | 25/10/2025 | 04/11/2025 | 50 |
| Seaspan Adonis | 01/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | 50 | |
| ONE Mackinac | 08/11/2025 | 18/11/2025 | 50 | |
| HMM Hope | 15/11/2025 | 25/11/2025 | 50 |
Michelle M
Bristol to Bunbury, WA, AustraliaFrom first contact to completion of the job everyone had time to talk through options. I can't think what they could have done better, when my stuff arrived after several weeks at sea I was pleased but not surprised to see no damages. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them and if I move again they get the call! 5 Star
Read more Australia moving reviews
Chaya R
London to Victoria, AustraliaI highly recommend First move international and will definitely use them again. They were caring, understanding and very patient with me and made sure I knew exactly what was happening every step of the move. Thank you for being so helpful!
Read more Australia moving reviewsIf you're thinking of moving to Australia then you probably have a lot of questions about the international removals process (and everything else!). Below we've compiled some of our most frequently asked questions and answers to them.
What's in This FAQ?
Here are the moving and shipping costs from the UK to Australia.
These costs are for budget purposes only. The final price of your move to Australia will depend on factors such as how much you are shipping, the value of your belongings (for insurance purposes), your collection and final destination in Australia. Costs depend on the size of your shipment and the required service, so we recommend that you request a quote to receive a tailored estimate.
On average, it takes between 45-50 days for goods to arrive. For exact sailing and transit times, check out our weekly Australia shipping schedule.
We offer door-to-door removals to every destination in Australia, no matter where you're headed. Whether you're moving to a major city or a more remote area, our network of partners ensures full collection and delivery coverage from the UK to Australia.
Your shipment is handled from start to finish by our UK team and our trusted Australian agents, who take care of customs clearance, port handling, and home delivery.
If you're moving somewhere outside a main city, our team will confirm any extra transit time or local delivery arrangements when preparing your quote.
Yes, we take care of the customs formalities on your behalf. We have approved customs agents in every arrival port. They are there to guide you through the customs process and make sure that all customs documentation is completed correctly and before your goods arrive in Australia.
See our Australia Customs Guide for more detailed information.
Most people moving to Australia can import their used household goods and personal effects duty-free, provided they’ve owned and used them for at least 12 months before shipping.
This includes furniture, clothing, appliances, books, and other everyday items.
However, some goods may still attract Goods and Services Tax (GST) or import duty in certain situations:
Because customs rules can change, always check the latest guidance on the Australian Border Force website or speak with our team before shipping.
Australia has strict biosecurity laws to protect its unique environment and banning or limiting the import of almost all food and animal products including;
The Australia government provides a full list of these items. Please also see our own restricted items for Australia guide and our Australia Customs Guide for more information.
Australia has strict biosecurity measures to protect its unique environment and agriculture from pests and diseases. Items listed below should be thoroughly cleaned before moving day.
Examples of items that need thorough cleaning or may face closer inspection are;
You can find the full list of items which may be subject to inspection here: Preparing your personal effects for shipment to Australia - DAFF
Our trusted partner, Conroy Removals, manages customs clearance and final delivery to your home in Australia. They’ll contact you before arrival to confirm delivery arrangements and assist with any last formalities.
Yes, if you're relocating permanently, a valid visa is required before entry. Various Visas are available for Skilled workers, Business/Investment and Families. Use the official Australia Visa Finder to explore your options.
Yes, we provide car shipping services to Australia through our sister company Autoshippers. Please visit the Autoshippers Australia car shipping page for more information.
From visas and medical fees, to shipping your goods and flights we go in-depth on the costs involved in packing up and moving to Australia.
Get the latest information on UK to Australia container shipping costs and container ports.
Everything you need to know about shipping furniture & personal effects from the UK to Australia.
Whether you're looking for basic moving tips, city info, or full visa and immigration guides we've got you covered.
How long does it take to ship? We post up-to-date sailing schedule information and as part of our weekly shipping promise we'll tell you in advance what ship we can get your personal effects on.
We cover all the legalities of shipping household goods from the UK to Australia including what forms and documentation you need to provide.
Australian customs are known to be one of the strictest in the world so we've detailed what you can and cannot ship in to the country.
We ship cars too. Get more information on our car shipping service.